Amazing but true, Darren Helm scored with less than 6 seconds left in “reg,” lifting the Colorado Avalanche, throughout– the plurality “fave” to title, into their first “semi” in 20 years, (3-2) at St. Louis, to wrap in 6 vs the last non T.B. champion.
Helm scored in overtime, “exactly” 13 years earlier (date, not day), getting Detroit (Red Wings) into a second straight final vs Pittsburgh, which unlike the ’08 version, they lost.
Meanwhile a seemingly great player, Conor McDavid scored in overtime in game 5, lifting the Edmonton Oilers into their first semi since 2006, when they eventually were 7’d by the Carolina Hurricanes in the Cup final, as “Edm” won (5-4) to “5” the “f”avored “F”lames (By the way, in the lone “qtr,” still going, those Hurricanes take a (3-2) series lead into New York’s Madison Square Garden for tonight’s #6 vs the Rangers).
The results set up a TNT televised Nathan Mac Kinnon another seemingly great player vs Conor Mc David/Colorado Avalanche vs Edmonton Oilers, “semi.”
Colorado will be at least a 2 to 1 series favorite.
Darren Helm, pictured above as a “Vogue”/Red Wings player, has now scored goals 13 years to the date apart, that respectively in ’09 sent Detroit to the final and now put Colorado into its first “semi” in 20 years.
It was well worth fighting a cold and waiting for a parking space to be legal, as the May 23rd performance “Broadway By The Year,” From Ziegfeld To Moulin Rouge at historic Town Hall in New York City, was truly fantastic.
Created, written, directed, and hosted by the prolific achiever, Scott Siegel–“Broadway By The Year” celebrated songs from “Ziegfeld Follies” to “Moulin Rouge.”
There were so many great performances.
The performers included the personable Tony Danza, who told stories and sang “How About You,” and “Angel Eyes.”
Melissa Errico, John Easterlin, Danny Gardner, Ryan Knowles (he was so personable, posing for pictures after the show), Douglas Ladnier, Anais Reno and Hayley Swindal were the other performers.
All of them were highly entertaining. Ms. Swindal sang “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend with The Broadway By The Year Dance Troupe as the penultimate song. It truly stirred some nice emotions.
Mr. Ladnier closed the show with Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.” I leaned that way and felt so much better after this fantastic show.
There are two more shows, each with its own theme, scheduled at Town Hall in 2022. Click below for ticket information.
Scott Siegel, pictured above.
The Golden State Warriors are now almost certain to “one up” the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning, (T.B. to a 6th SEMI in 8 seasons) at least in “round advance,” with a 6th final round appearance in the last 8 seasons.
“G.S.” has a commanding (3-0) “semis” lead vs the Dallas Mavericks.
There will NOT be a first time champion in either the NBA or NHL as the Lightning completed a sweep of Florida Panthers, the last remaining team without a crown.
Has this ever happened with 9 teams remaining in the ‘offs? I doubt it.
Max Zaslofsky, pictured above, was in the first NBA (then the BBA) title series. The Philadelphia Warriors won that 1946-1947 title series vs Max and the Chicago Stags.
The 2 time defending champion, Tampa Bay Lightning have won 5 straight tilts and have a commanding (3-0) lead vs the top ranked/President’s Trophy winning Florida Panthers in their “quarter.”
Thus T.B. is almost certain to make a third straight “semis” appearance and sixth in the last 8 seasons.
The Lightning have made/will make the semis in all 7 seasons starting in ’11, and including ’15,’16, ’18, ’20-’22 (if they win this “qtr”) in which they won at least one ‘offs game.
In both ’11 and ’17 the Lightning lost a road 7th game in the semis while in ’18 they lost #7/semis at home.
All 3 teams that won those 7th games vs the Lightning prevailed in the final round to take the title. (Bruins in ’11, Penguins in ’16 and the Caps in ’18, while each of those teams was “prelim’d out in 7 games last week, all on the road).
Before winning the back to back titles the past 2 seasons and going a superb (39-13) to this point and (32-10) in the previous 2 title winning ‘offs seasons, President’s Trophy winning Tampa Bay was shocked out in 4 straight games by Columbus in the ’19 prelims.
In ’12, ’13 and ’17 T.B. missed the ‘offs while in addition to being swept in the prelims by Columbus in ’19, “T.B.” was swept by Montreal in the ’14 prelims.
In ’15 they lost to Chicago’s 3rd crown in 6 seasons, in the NHL Final.
Altogether with their 8th semis appearance virtually assured, they are a “Whitey Ford 1961” (25-4) to have either made the semis or failed to win an ‘offs game in their 29 seasons.
The Lightning are or will be an incredible (8-1) in “quarters.” Only in ’03, the season before their first title did they lose one.
They lost in the first round but won at least one game in ’96, ’06 and ’07 and failed to qualify for the ‘offs 15 times, including 9 times in their first 10 seasons (’93-’02).
The superb Lightning coach, Jon Cooper pictured above.
The New York Rangers have advanced in the NHL playoffs. Despite trailing 3-1 after four games vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Broadway Blueshirts rattled off three wins in a row, and a Game 7 overtime win.
The New York Rangers will now battle the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, and the exotic dancers at Rick’s Cabaret New York are excited.
Rick’s Cabaret New York, the famous gentlemen’s club known for its beautiful entertainers, is just one block from Madison Square Garden and is a favorite with Rangers fans.
Rick’s girl Amelia said, “We invite you to watch the games with us or come for the decidedly unofficial post-game parties—they are so much fun.”
The three-story Rick’s Cabaret features private suites, luxury sky boxes, and the best in VIP treatment. The top-rated Rick’s Steakhouse on the club’s second floor is helmed by celebrity chef Jayson Margulies and serves lunch, dinner, and late night supper. Highly recommended.
Rick’s Cabaret New York (50 West 33 Street)
My post today recalls the 1976 Phoenix Suns’ upset win of the defending champion Golden State Warriors in a Sunday, non televised 7th game of the semi-finals.
At that point, I “knew” the Celtics would win another title as the Suns and not the Warriors, were now to be their final round opponent.
A long way to go these 46 years later and the Celts are only (1-1) with Miami, (they were -170 before the series began, sans home advantage and now are -260 with “home adv”) however, it appears to be a Celts/Warriors final on its way.
Clearly to this point, the Suns’ ouster at the hands of Dallas, has done “paving” work, for a truly outstanding Warriors’ team.
The Warriors covered both home games vs Dallas, as they defied my “every team loses at home in the ‘offs,” all teasing Dallas and overcoming a 19 point deficit in game two. “G.S.” is (8-0) at home in the ‘offs.
Kevon Looney, pictured above put forth an outstanding game “keying” the Warriors’ comeback win in game 2.
Ross Colton, who scored the lone goal in the Lightning’s repeat Cup title, game 5 win vs Montreal last season, took a brilliant pass from the great Nik (Nicky and his Lightning are 3/8 there) Kucherov and scored with 3 seconds left, lifting T.B. (2-1) at Florida and a (2-0) quarters lead with the series shifting to Tampa Bay for #3, not Saturday (concert at Amalie Arena) but Sunday afternoon.
It is the second straight season T.B. has “walked” into “out of the way,” Sunrise Arena and won the first two games of the series, having done so in last year’s prelims.
“Vas” (Andrei Vasilevskiy) again was great in net, allowing just one goal for the third straight game. This is a great team!
The great player, Nikita Kucherov, pictured above.
Last Sunday both of the previous year’s NBA finalists were eliminated from the ‘offs on the same day, in all likelihood for the first time in this the 74th such possibility.
The Suns, (0-3) in final round play, each a 6 game series loss, twice when having home advantage, have now failed to title in each of their 54 seasons.
They won 64 games but to be routed the way they were at home in the decisive 7th game/quarters is quite a blow.
Meanwhile Milwaukee, having won it all last season and one other time fifty years before that moves on to the off season deservedly devoid of criticism.
The coin toss that netted the Bucks and NOT the Suns the then Lew Alcindor, now Kareem Abdul Jabbar, certainly was/is— a/the seminal moment in each franchise’s history.
Four of the five NHL preliminary round 7th games were won by the home team, two yesterday in overtime, as those who were “losing their draws” betting the “draw”/game goes into overtime proposition wager, got 6 plus units back on a Sunday.
Only two time defending champion Tampa Bay (Lightning), (riding 2 Nick Paul goals, the second/game winner, a brilliant one, and yet another superb effort in a series clincher by “Vas” (2-1’d) Toronto), won on the road.
Yesterday Artemi Panarin and Johnny Gaudreau had goals in the first overtime “session” (Kenny Albert there, father Marv’s sports “sessions” no longer) lifting the New York Rangers (vs Pittsburgh, the second time the Rangers overcame a (3-1) series deficit vs “Pitts,” the first time was in ’14) and Calgary Flames (vs Dallas, despite a brilliant 64 save performance by their goalie Jake Oettinger–pronounced Ottinger and do not let me get started vs Goodels) to #7 home wins.
On Saturday, Carolina (6-0) all-time as Carolina in #’s 7, but a “dangerous” (4-0) at home in these ‘offs, won (3-2) vs Boston (the Bruins covered the “puck line” with a goal in the last 20 seconds, ergo this was not that dramatic, if at all) and Edmonton filled the first part of the first “Battle of Alberta” in 31 years, winning (2-0) vs L.A. in a home 7th, despite L.A. goalie Jon Quick’s great performance.
So Florida is a (-150) series favorite vs T.B. It will be tough, but I predict Florida in 6.
Carolina is about a 2 to 1 “fave” vs the Rangers. It will be no worse than (1-1) for the Rangers after 2 games and this series is too close to call, in my opinion.
Colorado also has not lost at home and I detest “chalk” picks, but let’s say the Blues (they are over 3 to 1series ‘dogs, get one in Col, then maybe take the ‘Lanche.
Finally, Calgary is too big a “fave” vs Edmonton, over 2 to 1, but Mitch Moss, who won 10K on Derek Stingley going third in the recent NFL draft (some of it going to wife, who said “baby needs a new pair of shoes”) has Calgary at 35 to 1 to win the West (they are maybe plus 350 now, 3 and a half to 1 now), so the pick, that might just “jinx” Moss, is Calgary in 6.
Nick Paul, pictured above, had both T.B. goals in game 7 at Toronto.
Juxtapose he, with another Paul, (Chris), yes an excellent player, but now on a team that dissipated and lost a series, in which they led (2-0), adding to his record, for now a 5th time.
In the second largest rout win by a road team in any NBA series decisive/winner take it game history, a superb player Luca Doncic hit for 35 and Spencer Dinwiddie added 30 as Dallas (Mavericks) ripped the top ranked (by 10 games, by the way, GState in this season in which their great fan, Brad Weiner passed away, has “home adv” in any remaining series while Miami has it vs Boston and would vs Dallas. The Mavs would have “it” vs the Celts) Phoenix Suns (130-93) (believe me it was not nearly that “close’).
Unfortunately the Suns (0-3) in final round play, twice with home advantage and up (2-0) vs Milwaukee (Bucks) last season, unlike the Bucks, who were eliminated on the same day but won it last year and were series u/dogs vs Boston, juxtaposed with the Suns, who were big faves, only to again dissipate a (2-0) series lead and this time a (3-2) advantage as (not) well, deserve mucho criticism!!
Dallas, whose 2 series victories this season are the first for the franchise since winning it all in 2011 (their lone title, the semis teams have a combined 27 titles, 17 won by Boston, 6 by the Warriors in both Philly and the West Coast Bay Area and 3 for Miami), now are plus “210” (just over 2 to 1) vs Golden State, with the series opening at “G.S.” on Wednesday night.
Luca Doncic, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 